Family Home Alone Evening, Part 2

Song: Hymn 249, "Called to Serve" (sang along to the MoTab version)

Prayer: Moi

Lesson: continuation Preach My Gospel chapter 1, "My Purpose"

• Takeaway: As Elder Holland says, "be devastated" when someone does not keep a commitment to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. These two things are the first steps on the most important path that person will ever take. I've been trying to find a constructive way to express such devastation so that the person is motivated to change, and I think that it would help to discuss what might be holding them back from keeping the commitment. Then, we could brainstorm solutions together. I could emphasize why I believe these steps are so important and how the Atonement of Jesus Christ enables us to change, including starting new habits of prayer and study. I could then bear testimony of the good and powerful changes I have experienced from reading the Book of Mormon.

Activity: writing a letter to a lonely friend

Treats: popsicle (nothing for Ghost because he's constipated)

Reading the whole Book of Mormon in July

With fewer teaching hours this summer, I knew that boredom would reign if I did not set up a worthy project for myself. So I read the entire Book of Mormon in July. Calculations came down to 8 chapters each day (with one day to spare), and I spread those chapters out between listening and reading on my tablet. I felt this project was worthy for two reasons: (1) I wanted to see the big picture of this book of scripture, and (2) I knew it would force me to spend a good chunk of time each day immersed in the scriptures. Some days, it was half an hour. Other days, it was an hour or longer. Regardless, I spent a lot of time thinking about the prophecies of Christ, his visit to the Americas, and his Second Coming. And I learned something interesting.

I started reading expecting to read a book about the Nephites. After all, Nephi kicked the whole thing off. He was the first political leader and one of the first prophets of the Book of Mormon. Everything that followed made reference to his decision to leave Jerusalem with his father. But this speed-read took my expectations and flipped them onto their backs. You see, during my reading I felt like the Book of Mormon wasn't a book about the Nephites: it was a book about the Lamanites.

After all, the Nephites are essentially defined by their contrast to the Lamanites. Under that logic, any book about the Nephites would have to also be about the Lamanites, and I'm always a sucker for underdog characters. The marginal. The invisible. The silent. The forgotten. Those are my favorite characters in fiction; why don't I have more charity for them in non-fiction?

With that inspiration, which luckily came to me early in the month, I read and learned several things about the Lamanites.

1. God loved the Lamanites. This truth was evident to me through the examples of the prophets. When the Nephites were truly righteous, they sought to help the Lamanites, even during war. It was as if righteousness = loving the Lamanites. The whole purpose of the Book of Mormon, found on the title page, is to convert and bless the Lamanites. How could God not love them? Furthermore, if God loves the Lamanites, then it is clear that God loves us even when we sin. For so much of the Book of Mormon, the Lamanites were considered to be God-less, inhumane sinners. Yet, God still loved them and continually sent messengers to them to speak of His love. How could God not also love you?
2. The Lamanites were good people. They are often described as being more righteous than the Nephites, only lacking the truth. It was the decision of their predecessors that brought a curse upon them, so refrain from judging them. After all, they were worthy of being loved by God. That should tell us something about their true natures. The same goes with the people who we think are our enemies or at least who are different from us. Refrain from judgment. They are worthy of God's love, too.
3. Curses can be lifted. Many Lamanites were converted throughout the Book of Mormon, and God took the curse of the Lamanites away from them. Whatever your curse may be--grudges, addiction, sin, etc.--it can be removed. And the errors of your generation, of your community, of your family do not need to be reflected in you.

Those lessons combined form the big picture of the Book of Mormon: we are redeemable.

The Nelson Challenge: Tongue of Angels

I've been following President Nelson's challenge to study the words, actions, doctrines, prophecies, and commandments of Christ every week. Here is something I studied recently.

Lesson #2

Messengers in Christ's empty tomb.

2 Nephi 31:13, which continues to explain the Doctrine of Christ (the gift of the Holy Ghost, in particular), declares that "ye shall receive the Holy Ghost...and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels." The next verse refers to the tongue of angels as "a new tongue." So what does that mean? What exactly is the tongue of angels, and how does it fit into the bigger picture of the Doctrine of Christ?

2 Nephi 32:3 clarifies that "angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore they speak the words of Christ." So maybe the tongue of angels means that our words are directed to the hearts of the listeners, like the promptings of the Holy Ghost. To speak to someone's heart or feelings, you must know their heart. Sometimes that means that we can empathize or we have had similar feelings. But we are not perfect empathizers; we have finite mortal minds. God still knows all and Christ has felt all feelings and the Spirit thus empowers us to speak to the heart even when we personally don't understand. It is enough that Christ understands, and we can simply speak his words.

I also like the end of this verse: "wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ." Having the gift of the Holy Ghost does not automatically allow us to speak the words of Christ. We must contribute by studying the words of Christ. We need to give the Spirit material to work with. If the doctrine and wording and love of the Savior's teachings are always in our minds, it will be so much easier to share his words with others.

So, the content of the tongue of angels is the words of Christ. What about the delivery? In a regional conference a few years ago, President Nelson himself shared that angels are messengers. Think of every instance of an angel in the scriptures: that personage was there to share a message. Who else would like to share a brief message with you? The missionaries! It follows, then, that one way to speak the tongue of angels is to spread the gospel through missionary work. Of course, Preach My Gospel has much to offer by way of instruction. Perhaps it is truly a manual on speaking "a new tongue."

Lastly, as far as my study went, I turned to Elder Holland's conference address, "Tongue of Angels." In this talk, he defined the tongue of angels as speaking with faith, hope, and charity. This kind of speech encourages and uplifts the listener. It is not biting or fiery but is bridled and sacred. I imagine that this speech requires a lot of thinking beforehand, probably even prayer so that the words are spoken with care and love. We are to be gentle and humble in our speaking. Similarly, the Savior speaks peace. The voice of the Spirit is still and small. We can learn a lot about divine speaking from their examples.

This study has made me think about my own speaking. Do I speak with the tongue of angels, or am I living below my privilege? How could I better bridle and temper my speech? Here is my plan to revise my actions:

1. Continue President Nelson's challenge and feast on the words of Christ.
2. Pray (when possible) before difficult or significant encounters, like sharing the gospel or working at the temple.
3. Listen to the Spirit when talking to someone one-on-one.
4. Be generous and honest with compliments.
5. Speak up to people and not down to them. In other words, speak to them as the gods and goddesses that their spirits are. As C.S. Lewis said, "the dullest, most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship."

The Nelson Challenge: Baptism by Fire

In January, President Russell M. Nelson issued a challenge to the young adults of the Church: to take time each week to study Christ's actions, words, laws, and doctrines as recorded in the scriptures. He recently wrote a blog post about how he fulfilled this very assignment. He included pictures of the notes he typed up and the markings in his Topical Guide.

As I am ever in search of a better way to study the scriptures, I have accepted this challenge. I confess to giggling with glee at the sight of President Nelson's scripture notes (so organized! so thorough!). I started by snatching the nearest copy of the Book of Mormon and searching for Jesus Christ in the index. There are several pages of entries for this subject, which is no surprise when you consider the Book of Mormon to be Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Anyway, I read a few snippets of verses right there in the index, and came across some interesting things that led me to deeper study.

Lesson #1

2 Nephi 31 covers the Doctrine of Christ from faith to repentance to baptism to the gift of the Holy Ghost and finally enduring to the end. I've heard these repeated over and over in Church lessons, but I wanted to go deeper and find a way to live the Doctrine of Christ better. I paused over the verses describing the gift of the Holy Ghost as a "baptism by fire." Why is the Holy Ghost so frequently compared to fire? I mean, the Spirit of God like a fire is burning. But why?

Feel the burn.

We know that the Holy Ghost is a cleansing agent, meaning that the Holy Ghost purifies us in the same vein as the washing of baptism. Fire burns away impurities (think refiner's fire) and is often associated with ordinary things becoming holy (think Moses' burning bush). Fire also produces light, which is associated in the scriptures with glory and truth and intelligence. After all, Christ is the light of the world. So, the Holy Ghost can make us holy and more like the Savior.

I also associate the Holy Ghost with receiving inspiration from God. The word "inspiration" contains the root "spirare," from which we also get the word "spirit." Inspiration literally means to breathe into. Breathing is what gives us life; therefore, inspiration is God giving us life, both physically and spiritually. We breathe oxygen, and what else needs oxygen to endure? Fire. The Holy Ghost ties us to the life-giving force that is our Heavenly Father.

Application: if you are feeling less than holy, seek the fire of the Holy Ghost. Create circumstances around yourself that invite the Holy Ghost to be your constant companion and, like the missionaries, never go anywhere without that companion. Seek inspiration more. Seek it in better ways. Ask questions as you study the scriptures. Set down the electronic device that consumes your quiet moments and reach out to the Spirit instead. Be still. Breathe. Burn.

Gordon B. Hinckley

I'm a little excited about the Relief Society manual for 2017. It features a certain adorable President Hinckley.

This is one of the most adorable pictures of him and Sister Hinckley.

In preparation to learn more from him and about him, I'm drawing on all my mind powers to remember him. He was the prophet of my youth, and he left a distinct impression on my life.

I remember when he challenged all members to read the Book of Mormon. We read it as a family and I was asked to speak about the experience in church. I recall feeling guilty for not reading it on my own, but looking back, there was nothing wrong (and likely many things right) with reading the Book of Mormon in a family setting.

I remember the 6 Bs: be smart, be clean, be true, be prayerful, be grateful, be humble. I also remember that he later added 3 more Bs: be positive, be still, be involved.

I remember when he dedicated the Salt Lake Conference Center and how the pulpit was built from a walnut tree that he planted.

I remember when he waved his cane at general conference.

I remember that he focused on building temples all over the earth.

I remember when he issued the Proclamation on the Family and the Living Christ.

I remember when he was on 60 Minutes.

I remember that he was confident that everything would work out.

And I remember when he died. I know exactly where I was and how I found out. I was sitting on the stairs at ward prayer during my freshman year and a friend announced it to the ward. My roommate burst into tears. Two days earlier, my Living Prophets class had finished our unit on President Hinckley. It felt like I had finally gotten to know him, and then he left.

Well, he's back in a way, and I look forward to learning even more about him this year. Miss you, President Hinckley!

Sunday Thoughts: Power

I was promised in a blessing that I would find power in reading the scriptures. So, when my ward started a Book of Mormon reading program this month, I decided to take that promise literally and look for the word "power" and evidences of God's power. Here are some things I have learned so far about power.

1. The Book of Mormon talks about God's power A LOT. Rather than just thinking of this book as "another testament of Jesus Christ," I'm starting to call it "another testament of Jesus Christ's power." Most chapters mention the word "power" at least once; some chapters bring it up several times. So far, all chapters provide evidence of the power of God as it works in the lives of the Nephites and Lamanites.
2. God does not hesitate to use His power. Instead, we are the ones who hesitate. It was Laman and Lemuel who doubted and hesitated in the face of Laban's so-called power. Nephi knew and testified that God could overpower Laban. But even then, when bold Nephi was asked by God to kill Laban, Nephi hesitated. The Spirit reminded him of his testimony that God could do all things, even through a mere human like Nephi. This truth makes me wonder what blessings I am missing out on because I hesitate in my faith.
3. Preparation for power has also come up a lot in 1 Nephi. Think of the 1 Nephi 3:7, where Nephi testifies that God prepares the way for us to use His power and obey His commandments. That verse is only the tip of the preparation iceberg. Therefore, I ask myself: what is God preparing me to do? How will I need to use His power?
4. The Godhead are not the only beings with power. Today I read 2 Nephi 2, where Lehi describes the fall of Satan and the power that Satan wields. Of course, Satan's power cannot match God's, but we do need to be vigilant and rely on God's power in order to overcome the power that Satan uses against us.

As I continue through my readings, I will add more lessons about power. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I need the power of God daily. I'm sure the Book of Mormon will teach me ways to access that power and what it means to use it.

Studying the Scriptures

I confess: I have an obsession with scripture study--specifically, with studying the Book of Mormon. I've compiled some of the methods I use to make the scriptures more meaningful, and at the end I have also included some methods my friends have used.

1. Word Search

This practice stemmed from two desires: (a) to read the Book of Mormon quickly to see the big picture, and (b) to learn more about the ways certain words appear in the Book of Mormon. I bought a cheap copy, picked a word/phrase/concept, and set to work. I read quite speedily, pausing only to hover over the word I had selected for that round. When I found the word, I highlighted it and made a mental note about the context it appeared in. At first, I read for "light." When I finished, I started over, reading for every instance of "faith." I colored faith orange to represent the fire of faith, and I discovered that the simple book of Enos was burning bright.

2. Word Search ON STEROIDS: Dedicated to a Single Topic

A couple of years ago, I spent a long time thinking about hope, about how I needed hope. So I bought yet another cheap copy of the Book of Mormon and turned it into my Hope - Book Of Mormon. Not only did I highlight every instance of the word "hope," but I also began feeling hope every time God's promises and covenants were mentioned. I highlighted those, too. And on the flyleaf at the beginning of the book, I wrote down my favorite thoughts on hope: a poem  by Emily Dickinson, and the greatest two hopeful scriptures I could think of, Moroni 7:41 and Alma 32:21. After that read-through, I feel like I an expert on hope.

3. Cross Reference

This practice is by far the most tedious. I have yet to complete a thorough reading of the Book of Mormon using cross referencing, but the concept is simple enough. As I read, I find a gospel topic and research it using conference talks. When I find a talk with a relevant quote or message, I write the quote down and stick it into the chapter, being careful to trim the sticky note so that it doesn't cover up the actual text. The writing and trimming take forever, but I have learned a lot about applying the scriptures to my modern lifestyle. It also helps to boil down a complicated chapter to a few key gospel topics.

4. Foreign Language Edition

I love languages. I love the Book of Mormon. So, when I was learning Spanish in college, I combined these two loves and bought myself El Libro de Mormón. Reading familiar scriptures in a new language is an eye-opening experience--the language suddenly begins to make sense. I became more aware of the struggle of translating scripture. I quickly memorized 1 Nefi 3:7, and years later, I can still recite it with the same lyrical rhythm. Reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish gave me a confidence in the language, but it also gave me a confidence in my testimony. The Spirit is with the book, no matter what language it is written in (which wasn't English to begin with).

5. Suggestions from Elsewhom

I got these study methods from the awesome members of my Relief Society. Clearly, I read too selfishly; most of these suggestions include sharing what you read with someone else. I'm definitely going to develop one of those suggestions so that I can reach out and truly apply my scripture study.

• Companion study: read the scriptures with someone else and discuss the text
• Teach the scriptures: read with the intent to teach someone, particularly someone of another faith
• Scripture speak: read the scriptures out loud
• Wake up with the scriptures: study first thing in the morning to dedicate your day to God
• Imagine the scriptures: put yourself into the story to make it come alive
• The Bednar approach: like the word search except searching for answers to a single question while reading
• Interrogate the scriptures: read with questions in mind and write down answers and revelation
• Where's Christ?: like Where's Waldo? except you're searching for Christ's role 
• Word search with the Young Women values: a great adaptation of my word search method
• Reach out: read with specific people in mind and make note of verses that could help uplift them
• Share!: the scriptures are a gift, so study and then share what you learn (or maybe even share the scriptures themselves)
• Scripture prescriptions: find scriptures to read when you're happy, when you're sad, when you're anxious, when you're sick, when you're confused, etc. and write out prescriptions with the verses included (can be personal or given to someone else)